CAR: Notice of Proposed Amendment on drones, UAVs, UAS and RPASCOPATransport Canada has published a Notice of Proposed Amendment on Unmanned Air Vehicles in the CARAC Activity Reporting System as part of CARAC Activity #2015-012. In summary, the objective of the proposed regulations is to establish a more rigorous risk-based framework for the safe integration of Unmanned Air Vehicles weighing 25 kg. or less in Canada's airspace for within visual-line-of-sight operations.

We seek your comments via email at CARRAC@tc.gc.ca by Aug. 28, 2015. In addition, we recognize that this Notice of Proposed Amendment could interest and have an impact on a larger community than our current CARAC membership therefore we would also appreciate if you could share the Notice of Proposed Amendment on Unmanned Air Vehicles with your respective networks.

Green is the new black for ORNGE pilotsBy Mark Huber A rather public debate has been raging all summer up in Ontario with regard to what are safe nighttime operations for the province's HEMS provider ORNGE. The fatal nighttime crash in 2013 of one of the ORNGE's S-76As while taking off into a "black hole" has resulted in a series of reforms. They include not conducting night operations at some 90 heliports/helistops located in the province's mostly rural northern areas. ORNGE also is working to shed some "green" on the problem.

Belly degreasersAVwebFor many pilots, the first realization that the bellies of their airplanes are becoming hazardous waste sites is when ATC advises that their transponders are intermittent. Investigation reveals a layer of goo on the belly antennas, doing its best to block the signal.
Frequently cleaning the by-products of engine operation — oil, grease, soot and other delicacies — off of the belly isn't just presenting a pleasing view to the world when over-flying, it helps keep the dorsal antennas working their best, keeps potentially corrosive materials off the paint and aluminum and lets you easily see whether the fasteners are in place or the paint isn't.

Take flight with COPACOPATake part in COPA's national membership campaign starting April 1, 2015, and you could win a 5 day trip for two to Whitehorse in the Yukon. All you have to do is refer a new or renewing member and for every renewal your name will be entered into a draw for the grand prize.

You can help rekindle the magic of airplanesGeneral Aviation NewsAccording to author Ben Sclair: I suggest you make plans to see Living in the Age of Airplanes. Better yet, take some non-pilot friends and go see it together. Then go out to dinner so you can talk about the movie.
Living in the Age of Airplanes is from the director that made 2005's One Six Right, Bryan J. Terwilliger. But unlike One Six Right, Living in the Age of Airplanes isn’t for pilots, it's for everyone else.

Learning to fly does not have to be difficult, or expensive. And it's almost never too late (or early for that matter) to become skilled in the safe operation of an aircraft.
You can be licensed to fly in a matter of months, if not weeks of applied study and air exercise.

To find out how to feature your company in the COPA eFlight and other advertising opportunities, contact Joseph Gonzales at 289-695-5420

Yikes, I've gotta land gear upAVwebYou're approaching the end of an excellent flight on a lovely day; life is good. Now, on downwind with the speed down into the gear extension range, you move the gear handle to the down position, keeping your hand on it until you get a solid gear down indication — as you've done scores of times.
Except ... nothing happens. There's no thunk as the gear doors cycle open and the uplocks disengage. There's no deceleration as drag increases when the gear drops into the wind. Nothing changes.

Flight Design C4 expands envelopeAINonlineFlight Design has begun production on its conforming prototypes of its new C4 aircraft and has expanded the flight-test envelope of the non-conforming model as the manufacturer works toward its first certified product. Germany-based Flight Design is hoping to achieve EASA CS-23 certification for the four-place general aviation aircraft next year, with validation from the FAA following after that.
The proof-of-concept first flew April 9 at Kamenz airfield in Germany, testing basic handling, trim, spiral stability and go-arounds.

A Ghanaian woman's quest to work — and flyAir & Space MagazineAccording to author Jonathan "Capt. Yaw" Porter: "Engine failure! Engine failure!" I shouted into the radio as I pulled the power on my 80-horsepower Rotax boxer engine back to idle. We were at less than 1,000 feet, climbing from a grass strip at Kpong Airfield in Ghana, West Africa. The baobab tree below reached out its naked branches like it wanted to claw us from the sky.
Kweku, the young student next to me, pushed the stick forward as he'd been trained to do.

10 reasons to fly WWII B-17 Bomber 'Yankee Lady'Record & ClarionThe Yankee Air Museum, based in Belleville, Michigan, announced it has determined the top 10 reasons people give for taking a Flight Experience ride on board the four engine B-17 heavy bomber "Yankee Lady."
The pristine World War II Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress will be at Gladwin Zettel Memorial Airport and offering rides July 31 and Aug. 1.